Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-09-24

natural for me to think that all men who
were called sir were admirals.
There is one thing which no woman can
Y e understand-what 1t is In her, and
her alone, that makes a man fall down
and worship her. I wa the most simple
n Ignorant of country girls and he was
a gentleman. Yet he risked the happi-
ness of his whole life on the chance that I
should become what he imagined me to be
already. Ny heart sinks stu with a sort
Of humiliation to think how unworthy of
that true and loyal gentleman I was.
You will see presently Of what things I
was capable.
We went home at length, hand in hand,
across the fields. VIII said nothing to
Dan, and we had our tea tust as usual.
only that I was silent.
In the evening Will went out, accom-.
panied by the two boys. I had quite for
gotten about Joshua and wondered q little
at his leaving me.
It was dark when they came back.
Will had his left hand tied round with a
pocket handkerchief, his right eye was
black aud he had got a cash across his
cheek. He had been fighting Joshua
Mech, and he had left, as I afterward
learned, that hero senseless on the
ground.
oSRASAoA"OI was ~
the battle and its results. "He be give
Joshua a drubbing," he said, with a
cheerful chuckle.
Now, no one in that house bore Joshua
any grudge, and yet at the news we all
congratulated ourselves and the victor, I
am almost ashamed now to think that Will
was more glorious In my eyes than ever.
There could be no f1ddling that evening,
and Dan had q double ration of brandy
punch.
A fight in those days was a mere episode
In a mans lie. It might occur at n
moment. Everybody fought, and a gem
tleman learned boxing as a part of his
education.
But was 'auxious that there should he
no bad blood, and the next day l went
over to the mill to see Joshua.
His face was a good deal more battered
than Willis. It was evident that he had
taken punishment manfully. He asked
mo to go into his WI room for a talk.
ut is your politeness, l suppose" 1 be-
gan, "that makes you fight a strange gen.
tleman"
whats a flghts" he replied. "That's
nothing neither to him nor to me. He's a
well plucked one, be is, as ever handled a
pair of fists. Which makes it worse"
A"A - "oA0S3
"Now, no more fooling, Pleasance.
You listen to me. No good comes of
young gentlemen dangling with young
girls. Besides, I won't have it. He's got
to 60
"You won't have IT."
"No," he said, banging his hand on the
table. II won't have it. There! You've
got to be my wife"
"1ve got-to-be-your wife,"
"Of course you have. I've told Dan
long ago. Why, I've been saving up for
it these ten years. Next Easter Sunday l
mean to marry you"
I only stared.
Don't think, Pleasance, that a man
can't love a girl because he hasn't got his
mouth stuffed with fine words. Gar! it
makes one sick to think of it. I've
loved you since you were n child. And he
| shall co."
"He shall not go, Joshua" 1 said.
land l will never, never marry you. Re-
member that"
"He shall CO." he said firmly. cone
way or the other, he shall 60. Don't
make me desperate, Pleasance. He shall
go. Now you know what to expect, be-
have accordingly"
l sprang to my feet and rushed out Of
the cottage. The mans set lips and steady
eyes frightened me.
| told Will; but he laughed at my fears.
What was Joshua to him? At the most,
there could only be another fight.
Joshua came no more to the farm, and
I did not see him again till the trouble
came upon me and mine.
And now I must leave the pleasant
time, when every day brought some new
happiness and some fresh brightness with
it, and come to the story of that trouble.
1t was partly my own fault.
One day-we had been sailing to Lad
ram bay and back in the little boat; we
had just beached her. and were sitting on
the pebbles hand in hand.
"What does Dan do" asked Will, 'swith
two boatss"
''Thc Chace Mary is the fishing boat"
replied; 1.-THE Dancing Polly is for the
runs to France"
''The what" cried Will.
"Thc run over for the brandy, you
know. Why, she is the fastest boat that
ever crossed the channel"
Will listened with q bewildcred face.
Presently he laughed.
$50 Dan is a smuggler, is hes Crafty
old man,
why" l said, with pride, Everybody
knows that Dan is the boldest smugglcr
along the coast. They've given up trying
to catch him now"
"Oh! And Job and Jephthah:"
"They go, too, of course"
"And-and the jealous AMBROSE, Don
Joshua, does he 60, tooy'
Eyes, he goes, too. They all four CO."
Will whistled.
"Shade of my saintcd fathern' he said,
twas it for this that you brought your
son.up in pious hatred to the illicit traffic
which interfered with four own gainst"
l did not understand one word Of what
he said.
~ will explain he said. "My father
made his fortune and mine chiefly by
rum. Rum is q rival to brandy. Great
numbers of the happy children of Ham
who, as my mother believes, are by di-
| vine ordinance subject to the children Of
Japhet-toil in Jamaica for the house Of
Campion g. Co. We provide the British
public with red roses, speckled noses,
bottle noses, govt and chalk stones in the
hands. That is our work in the world.
We fog slaves in order that Britons may
get drunk on health giving rum And
we pay duty. What are we to think Of a
man who runs over brandy, which may
be sold cheaper than rum, and is moro
wholesome How do you think l have
been trained to regard such q MANI? And
now to feel that I have not only been
staying in such a mans house, but that l
am engaged to his adopted daughter, and
that daughter the sweetest girl in the
world! Lady Campion, what will you
say to it:'
CHAPTER III.
LUCKY Run